The Burning Question | Redwood City Dragon Boat

Dragon Boat Nipples?

Hello Internet Friends!

Look down at your PFDs.¹

What do you call those plastic square doohickeys? What do you do with them?

Post pictures of you using your doohickeys!²

Thanks,

Alex, your Minister of Newbie Happiness³

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Editor’s Notes:

1. A “PFD” is a personal floatation device. Or, to newbies, a “life jacket.”

2. Awkward! But I am curious to find out how people use this feature.

3. After this weird post, not for long!

DieselFish is committed to educating newcomers about the fun sport of dragon boat racing. Send pictures and complaints to Alex at dfcaptains@gmail.com

Redwood City Dragon Boat | BIAC Clean Up Day 2015

DieselFish Dragon Boat Team cleaned up its home

On August 21, a group of paddlers and rowers joined together to clean up BIAC, our training facility in Redwood City. Together, we stripped old carpet from the boat house, bailed out dragon boats filled with stagnant rain water and disposed of algae-encrusted trash. DieselFish Dragon Boat Team is proud to have contributed to this community effort. BIAC is more than our training site. It’s also been our home for over a decade.

The team is now actively searching for an official hand sanitizer sponsor.

- Alex, your Minister of Newbie Happiness

Got rid of all the rain water that accumulated in the boat...

With this handy tool made from a detergent bottle.

Scraped this funky mass of algae from a section of dock.Whole Foods is selling something like this for $20 a package. #organic #artisinal

Coach Claro from Mountain View Dragon Boat cuts up a section of our old floating dock.

Email me today at dfcaptains@gmail.com for more information about fun and free dragon boat paddling adventures at BIAC!

Redwood City Dragon Boat | San Francisco Dragon Boat Festival Fun and Adventures 2015

Redwood City dragon boat team DieselFish had a blast racing and hanging out at prestigious race

It was an honor to compete at the 20th annual Kaiser Permanente San Francisco International Dragon Boat Festival. We paddled hard, ate good food and hung out with old friends. Check out these some stunning photos from the event, courtesy of Phillip Ma, Marynka Rojas and Hui Wa'a.

This view never gets old...

DieselFish paddles out to the starting line.

"PADDLERS ARE YOU READY? GO!"

"UP, UP , UP!"

"BURY THOSE BLADES INTO THE WATER!"

Fun times under the tent.

It was a pleasure paddling with you!

Season 18 is over! Off-season practices begin Saturday 10/17 from 10-noon in Redwood City. Let’s go Diesel!

- Alex, your Minister of Newbie Happiness

Email me at dfcaptains@gmail.com for fun foodie adventures and free dragon boat lessons!

Redwood City Dragon Boat | Powering Through Sandwiches and Races

8/29 dragon boat practice log

What We Ate

DieselFish went to Ike’s Lair of Redwood City for lunch. I felt adventurous, so I ordered the Kryptonite, a massive beast of a sandwich filled with [deep breath] avocado,bacon,beer-battered onion rings,EXTRA pepper jack,ham,mozzarella sticks,pastrami,pesto,roast beef,salami,stuffed jalapeno poppers and turkey. [gasp].The Kryptonite is so big, the staff can’t fit all the ingredients into a single sandwich! 

I knew I was in for a challenge after I ordered. “Wow, you ordered the Kryptonite?” my friend Jen asked. "I want to see it!" said a random stranger. My friend Marynka offered to drive me to the emergency room after I finished. That's when the adventure began.

I started munching away, and it was fun… All those flavors: tangy, creamy, meaty, oily. All those textures: crunchy, soft and chewy… Wow… I lost track of time,,,

I forced myself to stop eating after discovering I had only plowed through half the Kryptonite. I could have eaten more, but I didn’t want to take Marynka up on her offer. It was a fun experience. Next time, I’ll pace myself better and skip breakfast.

What We Learned

The big race at Treasure Island is coming soon, so we focused on race pieces. We had some newbies on the boat, so Marynka took the time to explain the different parts of our racing sequence. She explained that during races, we focus on acceleration at the start, emphasize power during the middle and switch to a sprint pace near the finish line. Our old friend Brian, who coached the Galileo Celestial Dragons, also paddled with us. It was great having him in the boat again because he’s a part of the family and a veteran instructor. He showed us how to improve our power and surge the boat forward. The newbies caught on quickly!

SEE YOU NEXT PRACTICE!

- Alex, your Minister of Newbie Happiness

Email me at dfcaptains@gmail.com for fun foodie adventures and free dragon boat lessons!

Woking on Water: Redwood City Dragon Boat Team Cooked with Celebrity Chef

DieselFish appeared on TV

I came across this old recording while clearing space on my DVR. A while back, DieselFish appeared on Cooking Channel’s "Easy Chinese: San Francisco". The series was a cooking show that focused on Asian food in the Bay Area. The producers asked DieselFish to appear on the seafood episode because we’re a water sports team based in Redwood City and we paddle to eat. The episode aired on November 12, 2011. You can read about our experience here. What a great time! We had fun, ate good food and paddled with friends.

Tonight, I rewatched the show for the first time in many years. The experience brought back many happy memories, but I should be living in the moment. I should be focusing on our upcoming practice sessions and foodie adventures. Also, the big race at Treasure Island is coming up.

(Wow, do I really look like that?)

- Alex, the Minister of Newbie Happiness

Redwood City dragon boat team offers free dragon boat lessons. Email me at dfcaptains@gmail.com for fun, good food and new friends!

Redwood City Dragon Boat | Special Sashimi Lunch

Special Sashimi and Fast Finishes with DieselFish

What We Ate
Alfred really likes Yokohama, a Japanese restaurant located in downtown Redwood City. “I’d eat at this place all the time if I could,” he said. “I wish there was a place like this near my office or home.” Why does Alfred like Yokohama so much? The big pieces of sashimi! “They cut the slices thicker,” said Alfred. He then ignored my further questions as he began to tuck into chunky slices of ruby-red tuna at a quick pace. Attaboy. You earned it after paddling, Alfred.

What We Learned
The most exciting part of a dragon boat race occurs during the last 100 meters. That’s when the crew summons its remaining energy and initiates the finish, a sudden and intense sprint that hurtles the boat towards the finish line. The finish is a beautiful sight to behold, but it takes work. Coach Sean had us work on our finishes on Saturday.

Fortunately for us, Sean is a veteran instructor. He showed us how to improve our synchronization and tweak our body movements in a way that generated maximum speed for a minimum of effort. By the end of practice, our boat was flying!

SEE YOU NEXT PRACTICE!
Alex

Set your own paddling and eating records! Email me at dfcaptains@gmail.com for free dragon boat lessons!

Redwood City Dragon Boat | Hawaii BBQ Power

What We Ate

After practice, we went to our old hangout, L&L Hawaiian Barbeque. I ordered my usual: the BBQ beef plate (hold the veggies) and a spam musubi. But what I really wanted was an espresso and throat lozenges.

During lunch, we got to know Ray and Bonnie, the newbies that joined us for practice. They had just completed their first dragon boat experience. They looked like they were in high spirits. (I’m not sure if their good moods were the result of their endorphin rushes after paddling or the BBQ.) We look forward to seeing them again!

What We Learned

Wow, what a day out on the water! Coach Sean asked us to focus on power. We paddled some endurance pieces—but with a twist. The new technique seemed to work and help us synchronize our strokes. We achieved greater power for longer durations. 

SEE YOU NEXT PRACTICE!
Alex

San Francisco Bay Area Dragon Boat Team DieselFish offers free dragon boat lessons. Email us at dfcaptains@gmail.com for details!

Redwood City Dragon Boat | The World Championships Are So Close...

From Darren Louie, DieselFish Youth Team Coach (who coaches our group of teens):

As you know I've had the wonderful privilege of coaching DFY now for five years and this year is special as we have four of our young athletes competing for the U16 Team USA at the world championships in Welland, Canada in August 2015.

On the team are Kiana, Nathan, Jet and Orion all of whom who are 13 and 14 years of age respectively. These four are very young but have incredible potential and have earned a spot on Team USA.

I'm writing this message to ask for your financial support to help fund their trip to Canada.

Unfortunately, in the sport of Dragon boating, there is no funding or scholarships for junior athletes and this is why we need help. The trip is estimated to be $1,800 to $2,000 per athlete, and I was hoping you could make a small donation to help offset some of the costs.

The kids have set up a RocketHub crowdfunding project site where you can read about their stories and easily make a donation.

Thank you so much for your support. Any help that you can provide would be very much appreciated.

Paddles up,

Darren

Sometimes a Graphic is Worth a Thousand Words

The South China Morning Post published this beautifully illustrated infographic about dragon boat racing:

It's a must-read for people curious about the sport! (Click on the link or save this image to download a larger version,)

Want to take the next step and experience your first dragon boat adventure? Email me at dieselfishcaptain@gmail.com to set up your first free lesson!

Dragon Boat #Bling

How do you paddle with that thing around your neck?

#DieselFish #dragonboat #bling #shiphop #2002willneverdie #captain4lyfe #SanFrancisco

Alex will provide you with free paddling lessons if you email him at dfcaptains@gmail.com. You need to sign a waiver before trying on the #bling. 

Dragon Boat Gear Essentials

Gear doesn’t make the paddler, but it can sure help!

Dragon boat paddlers need to leverage every resource available to deliver their best performances! This ongoing series will examine the technology and gear that DieselFish Dragon Boat Team uses to stay fit, fast and occasionally fashionable.

Alex, the Minister of Newbie Happiness, has paddled with DieselFish for seven years and blogged about dragon boat racing for almost as long. He keeps coming back year after year for “the people.” In this installment, he will stop writing in the third person perspective and talk about his favorite pieces of paddling equipment, which include an arsenal of paddles and several articles of technical sportswear.

[1] Paddles: (L-R)

● ZRE Carbon fiber: Too $hort

● Grey Owl Wood: Too heavy

● Burnwater Carbon Fiber: Ahh, just right. (I swear, the pink sticker wasn’t my idea. This paddle is a loaner.)

[2] Chinese Mom Visor: Just kidding.

[3] Nike Daybreak Visor: Keeps water, sun and sweat off my beautiful face.

[4] Stohlquist Barnacle Half-Finger Paddling Gloves: I used to think it was manly to have rough hands that were scorched by the sun, battered by the wind and drowned by the sea. I changed my mind after all the blisters and calluses I had accumulated started to affect my paddling. These gloves protect my hands from the elements and provide some extra grip.

[5] Adidas Supernova Running Jacket: Water resistant, yet breathable.

[6] Columbia Waterproof Pants: Prevents swamp crotch.

[7] Skwoosh Dragon Boat Pad: Paddling helped me lose some of the junk in my trunk, so now I need some padding down there.

[8] New Balance SM820 Water Shoes: I like wearing water shoes because they provide better protection and grip than sandals. (I’ve slipped inside the boat.) This particular model is loaded with technical features including drainage ports and mesh windows that help the shoes dry out quickly and prevent swamp foot. They slightly pinch my heels.

[9] Nike ACG Cordilleras Water Shorts: I bought four pairs of these shorts that are sadly no longer in production. They were designed for paddling, so they offer useful technical features including quick drying fabric, non-slip textures, cargo pockets and an internal lanyard for my keys.

[10] DieselFish Jersey: The DieselFish Electric Green on the sleeves stimulates the senses and also allows our supporters to spot us from the shore during races. 

Alex will provide you with free dragon boat lessons and might let you borrow some of his equipment if you email him at DFcaptains@gmail.com.

Redwood City Dragon Boat | Pie and Paddling for Pi Day

Today’s practice was different because of the national holiday. We’re a sports team, but in honor of Pi Day, we introduced empty calories into practice. (This was an irrational but fun move.)

What We Ate

The Pi Day festivities began right after we got off the boat. We celebrated an informative practice with delicious slices of apple pie. Dessert... what a great reward! Don’t worry, we’ll burn off the calories during our next practice.

What We Learned

We started off with a special paddling clinic taught by Coach Sean. Sean was fixture at DieselFish practices for many years as both a paddler and coach. We’re glad he’s back at the front of the boat because he’s an experienced instructor. A number of newcomers showed up today, so we went over the various parts of the basic stroke technique. His constructive feedback and willingness to answer our questions was greatly appreciated. Oh and we should plan more practices that end with pie.

DieselFish has fun off and on the water! Email me at dieselfishcaptain@gmail.com now to join our next adventure!

Dragon Boat Dine About Town: The Lunar New Year Outing

Dim Sum with DieselFish Dragon Boat Team

DieselFish Dragon Boat Team celebrated the Lunar New Year with a delicious dim sum meal at China Village Seafood Restaurant today. We enjoyed traditional dishes including har gow (shrimp dumplings), cha siu bao (BBQ pork buns) and phoenix talons (OK, they’re really chicken feet). We also played games and welcomed new friends. What a fun way to kick off the year of the sheep!

Alfred and Jen generously gave everyone lai see (red envelopes filled with money). Here, Wayne and Ellen show off their new prosperity.

Marynka, Robert, Julie and Victor get into the holiday spirit.

Jen won a prize!

The menu. Can you believe we plowed through 45 plates of dim sum?

(Don’t worry. We’ll work off the food at one of our killer practice sessions. We’ll save a seat for you.)

GUNG HAY FAT CHOY! HAPPY LUNAR NEW YEAR!

DieselFish has fun off and on the water! Email us at dfcaptains@gmail.com now to learn how you can join our next adventure!

Happy Lunar New Year

DieselFish Dragon Boat Team wishes you a happy Lunar New Year filled with fun and fitness!

Why 2014 was the Best Year Ever for Dragon Boat

DieselFish Dragon Boat Team’s Year in Review
  

2014 was an amazing year for DieselFish. We got stronger, made new friends and shared some unforgettable experiences together.

Best moments of 2014:

* Our killer workouts. The team’s uniforms got tighter in all the right places.

* Our newest recruits. The rookies did great! We’re thrilled that Rachel, Michelle, Jen and Alfred joined up and proud that we provided them with the support they needed to have such successful first seasons.

* Our strong performances at Long Beach and Treasure Island. We paddled for each other and it showed.

* Our fun social events. The fun didn't stop after practice ended!

DieselFish never rests on its laurels. We are planning big changes for 2015! Email us at dfcaptains@gmail.com now to learn how you can join us for fun and exciting outdoor sports adventures!

Happy 2015!

Keep an eye on us in 2015. Exciting changes are on their way!